Lautenberg, Zimmer agree to debate Nov. 1

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and his Republican opponent, former Rep. Dick Zimmer, have agreed to debate on NJN, the state's public television network, at 8 p.m. Nov. 1.

The Zimmer campaign has been pressing Lautenberg to debate but protested the late timing of the showdown - on a Saturday evening three days before the election.

"New Jersey voters are not going to stand for that," Kristen Hainen, Zimmer's spokeswoman, said today.

Lautenberg's campaign promised there will be at least one other debate.

"I have said more than once that Senator Lautenberg will be debating more than once. This is simply the first debate that we agreed on," said Julie Roginsky, Lautenberg's spokeswoman.

Zimmer has been calling for Lautenberg to debate since the day after they both won their respective primary elections in June.

Randy Mastro, a lawyer retained by the Zimmer campaign to negotiate a debate schedule, accused Lautenberg of "trying to run out the clock."

"I am astounded that Senator Lautenberg refuses to come out of hiding until November," Mastro said. "His campaign has been giving lip service about his commitment to holding face-to-face debates with Dick Zimmer since the primary, but with less than five weeks until Election Day, Senator Lautenberg has failed to tell voters why he deserves another six years in Washington."

Roginsky said Lautenberg's campaign will be making more announcements concerning debates "shortly."

"We've had to compress our entire campaign schedule into three weeks now because of the bailout legislation, which no one could have anticipated," Roginsky said. The Senate is scheduled to vote on a "rescue plan" for failing financial institutions tonight.

"This is not a typical year when Congress is out of session in September," she added.